never
Translation
never
Examples
I have never been to Japan.
I have never been to Japan.
He never eats breakfast.
He never eats breakfast.
Never say never.
Never say never.
Grammar Patterns
never + [verb] (simple present) at no time in the present He never arrives on time.
have/has + never + [past participle] (present perfect) at no time up to now I have never seen that movie.
Similar Words
Synonyms: not ever, at no time; Antonyms: always, ever, forever
Etymology
From Old English 'ne' (not) + 'æfre' (ever). It literally means 'not ever'.
Memory Tips
Think of it as 'n' + 'ever'. The 'n' stands for 'not', so it means 'not ever'.